


When You're In Paris

by RuGrimm



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-12
Updated: 2015-12-27
Packaged: 2018-03-30 07:30:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3928213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RuGrimm/pseuds/RuGrimm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Paris has always been referred to as the 'City of Love'. Knowing this, it comes to no surprise when Grell would give anything to visit there with his handsome, stoic boss. When he sets up William on a supposed "business trip" and traps Will there for a weekend, what could possibly go wrong?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. How It All Began

The steady clicking of the mini Ben clock on a mahogany desk and scratching of William's favorite black ink pen on paper filled the office air around him.

From another's perspective, one would see nothing wrong with this picture as William sat at his desk, writing on his paperwork like he always did. However, there was one thing missing, and its absence was unnerving for the dark-haired supervisor.

This was wrong-terribly wrong in everyway possible.

What could possibly cause its absence for so long? A full eleven minutes--it had been missing for a total of eleven minutes! This shouldn't be happening! It shouldn't even be possible!

William gripped his pen a little tighter, already tense body managing to tense up even more. Should he be worried at all? No, he was...just overreacting. That was it!

Oh, who was he kidding? There _was_ a need to be worried. It was _...IT!_ There was no way it could take care of itself all alone. That was like asking for trouble.

Giving in to his doubts, William put his pencil down in midsentnce, ready to stand when the door flew open ceremoniously. There it was: Grell Sutcliff in all his glory.

He leaped through the door, letting it close behind him as he bounded over to his beloved William T. Spears in less than three steps before he leaned over the desk with a leecherous grin. "Morning, darling~ Miss me~?" he cooed, fluttering long, fake eyelashes at the handsome man he'd crushed on for nearly two hundred years.

William relaxed slightly despite the twitching of his right eyebrow as it always did in the presence of the over-zealous redhead. "No." His hand picked up the ink pen before starting its job once again.

"Oh, I know you did. You were worried because I was late, weren't you? Afraid I'll miss a lunch break with my darling Will~?" Grell giggled, winking once at William before dancing around his desk toward the other.

"No," was his curt reply, glaring at his subordinate for a brief moment before returning to his paperwork. "Merely concerned you were harassing the staff again or flirting with more filthy demons. I am relieved to know that they are unharmed from your raucous voice and disturbing being."

The redhead rolled his eyes, falling backwards into William's lap and thrusting one leg toward the ceiling as his back arched over the arm of black, roll-around chair his boss sat at. "Hehe, you cold-hearted man, you~! It's unpolite to lie to a lady's face you know?"

William stopped his writing with a sigh, setting his pen down to adjust his glasses with a stern frown. "Sutcliff, remove yourself from my person immediately. I doubt you want another suspension."

Gasping, ,the redhead jumped out of his chair with wide eyes and cowered behind his chair. "N-no! Not my precious baby again! We just finally got back together~!"

"If your behavior was not so unprofessional, I wouldn't have to rely on such prudent decisions..."

"If you weren't so handsome, I wouldn't have had to fall for you~!" he quipped back, shaking his finger at William as he walked to his side and leaned agaisnt the mahogany structure ladden with paperwork. "You're such a cruel man, Spears--denying women what they so desperately want."

William rolled his eyes, trying to delve back into his work again as he ignored the repulsive creature to his right. Honestly, how long would he have to keep telling the delusional MALE that he was no woman? He'd given up on arguing nearly a decade ago. There was just no disuading him any longer.

"Don't you remember? It was all for you~!" Grell said to him one day. "You said that only a LADY should say such things when I told you that I could fall for you! So, that's what I became! You should be more careful with your words, Willy~!"

William frowned a bit more at the thought. In all truth, it was utterly despicable. To think, who in their right mind would do such a thing? Then again, Grell didn't really ever have a 'right mind'.

When he felt hands gripping his shoulders, he was torn away from his thoughts. They dug into his muscles, kneading them like a cat as Grell purred into his ear. "You're so tense~ Allow me to help you with that, darling~!"

The ravenette had long since grown used to Grell's 'seductive' touches that...weren't really that seductive. Regardless, he'd experienced Grell's massages before, and he wouldn't pass up on one now.

Then again...Grell never gave him any massages unless he wanted something, and he wanted it badly. There was no other reason Grell would dare try.

"Sutcliff," he mumbled, shivering from the knots in his tense muscles loosening beneath gloved hands. "What do you want?"

"Nothing~! Can't I just give my man the treatment he deserves?" he asked with a grin that was more on the seamy side than the angelic, cherubic facade he had intended to put on.

A deep, pleased sigh was breathed out by the supervisor as he closed his eyes like a lazy hound. Hands worked down his spine, and then he felt a light kiss on the side of his neck, causing the lazy hound to awaken with a startle. "SUTCLIFF!" he snapped, gritting his teeth as he looked over his shoulder with a snarl.

"What?" giggle the red reaper as he wiggled ginger eyebrows at him. "A little affection never hurt anyone."

"Yes, in fact, it does," he muttered, knocking the hands away with gritted teeth against his own want for those heavenly hands to be found wandering down his body like that. No, no, no. Not the sexual way, you perverts (the fourth wall has just been broken, get over it).

"Fine~!" he whined, sitting on the mahogany desk dramatically before daintily draping one leg over the other. He blew a stray strand of his crimson tresses from his face before leaning back on his hands and rolling his eyes with a dramatic pout that he was famous for. "Since it's near Valentine's day, I was thinking: 'Why not go to Paris'?"

"Paris?" he asked with an eyebrow twitch. "No, absolutely not."

"Why not~!" whimpered the other as his bottom lip curled outward. "One day couldn't hurt anyone! Wouldn't it be a nice chance for the two of us to get away from all of this?"

"TWO?!" WIlliam's cold gaze narrowed, the tips of his ears a slight red in his anger. "The answer was no with just you. The two of us will NEVER, EVER, EVER happen, Sutcliff, despite your own fantastical, whimsical dreams. Now get out of my hair."

"Oh, I'm not in your hair," he giggled, getting up as he stood behind William and ran a gloved hand through the black, normally slicked back, hair to leave it in a state of disarry while he circled the chair like a shark stalking the remining survivors on a small boat.

"Then allow me to rephrase that: get out," William hissed, pulling a comb from his pocket and running it through his hair to bring it back to its usual, professional state.

Without warning, Grell was suddenly nose-to-nose with the supervisor as a hand gripped the black tie his boss wore. Green eyes stared into each other as their breaths mingled and quickened at their close proximity. "Kiss me, and I'll do anything you want."

Closing his eyes, the redhead moved in with a small smirk as their lips touched. It was just as he imagined it. So cold, and firm! What bliss~! And to think, he thought William would flinch when his tongue ran across the cold, nearly icy lips of his. And his lips, they were...metallic?

As his eyebrows narrowed, Grell cracked open his eyes before letting out a surprised cry. He stumbled back with an embarrassed blush, flipping back over the desk and falling on his bum. To think, he'd been making out with a pair of PRUNING SHEARS!

William resisted the urge to smirk, retracting his scythe and letting it disappear into another dimension. In order to keep his face a stoic facade, he looked away and let in a deep breath to calm his jitters. That was pleasing. For once, Grell could feel at least a little humiliation. "I think I've made my point clear, Sutcliff. Please leave my office, and, if you do come back, please remember to bring some dignity with you."

A huff was heard before Grell stood up, not sure whether to be pissed or completely embarrassed. Either way, his cheeks were still stained the same color as his vermilion locks. "I'll try," he muttered, looking away before he trudged out of the office and close the door behind him with a firm click.

Oh, this wasn't over. He was going to Paris--one way or another.

William T. Spears would mark those words.

Xxx

"EXCUSE ME?!"

"It's simple, Spears," said Martin Riesenberg, one of the very few who stood over William in status. The man was nearly six and a half feet tall with platinum blonde hair, and he was feared by nearly half of those under him by his muscular proportions. He may have been the epitome of 'the gentle giant', but his looks were, in lack of a better term, 'enough to kill'. "The directors want you at the meeting in Paris this week. You have to take a senior officer with you, and Grell Sutcliff is the only one in your Division other than you who is a senior officer. Knox falls under that margin by a full decade. Sutcliff is the only one qualified to go with you."

"Honestly, can I not go alone?" William muttered, unable to keep the tone of disgust from his voice.

Martin chuckled, taking out a cigar and putting it in his mouth. After clipping and lighting the clover-scented stick, he moved it to the corner of his mouth and spoke. "You know the policy, William. No reaper leaves their Division area without a partner. It's a twelve hour train ride after you reach land, anything could happen."

Right eyebrow twitching in irately, the supervisor tried to hide the growing malice toward Sutcliff and his stupid luck behind a stoic façade. "Could we not just ask Miss Goodwin to form a portal directly to Paris? Or ask another agent. The Paris Division is four floors up in THIS building. Why must we go to Paris itself?"

"I know you're upset, William. Going anywhere with Sutcliff, you have the right to be. However, the meeting also consists with some of our mortal allies. We both know human mortals are not allowed within this realm. In light of that, the meeting with the Paris Division has to be in Paris. Simple logic, actually," Martin said with a shrug, chewing slightly on his cigar as he reclined back in his chair and clasped his hands on his lap.

As he kept himself from exploding in fury, William gave a stiff bow. "I shall see to it that I inform Sutcliff of this travel immediately."

"Then do so. Your train leaves in three hours. I have already booked your room; here is the map of Paris. The circled areas are labeled. One is your hotel, the other is where the meeting is. The tickets back to London will be in your room when you arrive. If the train arrives on time, you will get the night to sleep, and the next train to London won't be until Monday. Since the meeting should only be a few hours long, you have all day and night to do as you deem fit. Enjoy your stay in Paris, Mr. Spears," Martin said, holding up a map as William politely snatched it with a forced blank expression.

"Good day, Director Riesenberg," William growled, quickly making his exit with gritted teeth as the door firmly clicked behind him.

"Oh~ He didn't look very happy~" cooed a familiar voice as Grell Sutcliff stepped out of the closet in Martin's office with a wide grin.

"Do I get what I asked for?" Martin asked, spinning his chair around as he raised an eyebrow.

Grell rolled his eyes, pulling out a package of a vintage set of clover-scented cigars and handing them to Martin. "There you go, Marty. Knock yourself out, dear…Is there really any mortals at that meeting?"

"Not a single one," Martin said with a chuckle, putting the package in a special drawer in his desk.

"I love you, Marty~" crooned the redhead, giving him a flirty wave as he started to the door with a flirty wave and a sway of the hips.

"Yeah, yeah, get out with ya seductive little ass," he chuckled, rolling his eyes. "And do it before Will catches ya."

"I'm on it," Grell giggled, leaving soon after with a wide grin. This was going to be the best weekend of his eternal existence.

Xxx

Grell smiled proudly at the sound of a whistle in his ears, a long red trench coat covering his petite form and a large, fancy crimson sunhat sitting atop a head of scarlet tresses. His beloved carmine coat was tuck safely in his large, vermilion suitcase with all of his other outfits for the weekend he would be spending in Paris with the love of his life.

A hustle and a bustle surrounded the two waiting reapers who watched as a the large engine huffed and puffed its way into the busy station. They stood side by side, the redhead's eyes averting every few seconds to the passengers waiting to board the train that was now dropping off its current mortals and immortals alike. It reeked of a demon nearby, and it caused William to bristle slightly as if he expected it to jump out at them at any given moment. However, Grell remained as calm as ever on the outside. On the contrary, he was tense on the inside as well. There was no demon on this earth that he liked even a little bit except his darling Bassy...and even then he'd rather kill him than spend an eternity with him. William was all he cared to want or need.

The redhead smirked slightly, stomach filled with butterflies as he walked forward toward the doors still open and no longer sending the passengers inside on their merry way. He couldn't wait. Was he actually pulling this off? Please let this be real and not one of his silly fantasies. The smell of the smoke billowing from the old train wafted his way, and as he coughed on it, he knew that this was completely real. It caused his heart to soar regardless of the awful taste it left in his mouth or the way it stung his eyes like a million pinpricks poking them simultaneously.

Despite his glasses, his vision was hazy and watery as he near blindly walked to the cars that would hold them and carry them to their destination. Paris--it was supposedly the city of love. And who better to take with him than William T. Spears himself?

Grell could lie and say that it was just for him to live his fantasy life for a weekend during the day of love in the city of love. However, he knew he was doing it for the both of them. Willia-

The mangosteen of reapers had managed to trip on the edge of the station, missing a step as he stumbled forward with a startled yelp and thoughts ripped from his mind. A strong arm wrapped around his waist to steady him and keep him from falling face first. William had nearly let him fall, but the gentleman inside had kept him from letting such a thing happened. Had he been given a moment to think about it first, he probably would have let Grell trip. However, he only had a split second to think, and his instinct acted before his reason. Helping Grell back to his feet, William sighed before adjusting his glasses. "Watch your step, Sutcliff. An injury report is something I would rather not fill out on the way to Paris."

"Such a cruel man. Saving those in order to only save oneself~!" he giggled, blushing slightly as he blew William a kiss and managed to get on the train without further incident.

Green eyes traced that of an imaginary rainbow in William's head as he followed Grell to their private cabin in the train, opening the door to find a small compartment with a window and only two seats. The seats sat across from one another, padded in red velvet and made of cherry oak. Above the seats were racks to store their luggage during the travel. William's only problem with it was the small proportions. Nevertheless, he did not complain. There was no fixing it now, and he would make due with what they had. These were first class seats, and there probably wasn't anything better than this.

Storing their luggage above as Grell daintily sat down like a lady did when she expected her husband to do everything for her, William sighed. He could already tell this would be a long travel, and they hadn't even left the station. Sitting down on the seat across from Grell, the stoic reaper rested one ankle on his knee and looked out the window as the whistle blew. The steam engine jerked, before whistling again and starting to pull from the station. As he tore his gaze from the window to look at Grell, William saw the redhead's eyes wide with wonder and excitement. In the centuries he'd known the effeminate man, he didn't think he'd ever seen him happier. Naturally, they were going to the place Grell had dreamed about going to for decades, and that would be exciting for anyone who was on the way of fulfilling a dream, but he didn't think it would be that exciting. Passion was the redhead's middle name, yet William was intrigued by that expression on his face. He could have even smiled. But he didn't.

Instead, William scoffed, turning back to the window as he watched the crowd of people gathered around for the three o'clock train that wouldn't arrive for approximately another twelve minutes. Slowly, they one-by-oone began to disappear from their sight before the train station was replaced with the scenery nearby. It had already been a long boat ride to the main continent, but at least they had different cabins on the way. Now, they were trapped in the same enclosed space for hours.

He shook his head, looking back to where rell had been sitting and saw no one there. "Gr-AH?!"

The redhead was suddenly in his face, puckering up as if he were trying to kiss the other, and sitting right beside him. Needless to say, the supervisor was startled at first; however, William soon cooled only to slide away from Grell with a disgusted scoff.

And then the redhead scooted after him with a smirk. When William would scoot away, Grell would slide across the seat too.

Now, the seats being made of velvet, it was a little hard to slide. Therefore, when one moved away, they would have to place their hands on the seat to lift up their bottoms and physically move themselves. Grell noticed this pattern with a giggle, and managed to place his hand on top of William's at the same time that William put his down on the seat to move away. This, in turn, caused the more mature to slap away the hand and quickly look away. "Don't touch me."

"I can't help it!" Grell whined, leaning on William's shoulder to rest his head there. His emerald eyes gave William the puppy eyes as the redhead curled out his bottom lip. "Why must you be so handsome~!"

"Why must you be so infuriating?" William's eyebrow twitched once as his now free hand pushed up his glasses, making them glint for only a moment before they revealed the dual-colored eyes staring at the shorter.

Grell humphed, crossing his arms as he pulled away and sulked. "It's unfair to pick on a lady who can't defend herself!"

"You, Grell Sutcliff, carry around that noisy, sorry excuse for a scythe. I doubt that you are as defenseless as you claim. You are far from 'fine china'."

"No. That isn't what I meant, Will," he mumbled, shaking his head before he stood and walked back to his seat-arms still crossed. "It wasn't what I meant at all."

William blinked slowly once before speaking again, trying to contemplate what else he could have possibly meant. "Could you please explain, then?"

"Don't worry about it, Will-darling~! It isn't in your nature to show concern to the slightest degree, hehe. After all, cruelity is what makes a hansome man like yourself, yourself."

At this, William frowned in slight confusion before rolling his eyes and looking out the window. He thought nothing of it. Grell was free to have his opinion, after all.

Besides, a little silence was in order. It was going to be a very long trip.

A long trip, indeed...

 

 


	2. War

Friday Night...

After getting off the train and receiving their room key, the two British reapers made their way up to the sixth floor via elevator, much to William's general distaste. Being in a small, enclosed space with Grell Sutcliff was something that belonged in his nightmares.

However, Grell had miraculously not said a word in the elevator so far...which was likely due to the fact he was humming to the tune of the classy elevator music playing at the moment.

It was this near silence William was truly thankful for during the now. The redhead had literally talked all the way here since they left the train. He doubted he had any more patience for the man.

'Honestly,' thought he as the elevator doors opened with a cheery DING that was much more enthusiastic than he was at this point in time.

"Oooo! We're here, Will!" he announced, rushing out of the little elevator and nearly running to their room.

When he reached the door, Grell realized that William still had the room key. In angst to see their room, the redhead fidgeted and watched while William calmly strode down the hall with his luggage in hand. "Hurry, Will-darling~! Hurry!"

"Grell Sutcliff, need I remind you that there are mortals sleeping nearby? Please be more considerable of others," admonished the raven-haired supervisor who set down his suitcase to pull the slightly rusted key from his tuxedo jacket pocket and insert it into the keyhole before turning it counterclockwise. The door clicked in response, and William slowly began to open the door the moment he had returned the key to his pocket.

Like he did in the elevator, Grell scurried into the suite, dropping his luggage in the doorway right where William stood.

William merely huffed, walking past the abandoned suitcases toward where he believed to be the closet. "Sutcliff, retrieve your luggage immediately. I shall not bring it in for you."

"It's so beautiful~" Grell all but ignored William. "It's a honeymoon suite just for the two of us!"

"It's wha-AH?!" William's horrified screech was cut off when he opened the closet door and an ironing board fell on his head.

Grell didn't see it, or he chose to ignore it. "It's a honeymoon suite, darling. You know, for couples~."

Putting the ironing board back and nearly slamming the door, William rubbed his slightly sore skull and set his suitcases neatly aside. "I know what it is, Sutcliff, but the problem is why we are here. The Dispatch never makes mistakes, even minuscule ones like these. My only logical conclusion is that Mr. Riesenberg set us up." Minuscule? Not hardly! William mentally chided Mr. Riesenberg for such a prank, something that William would likely never do in any situation no matter what it was.

"Accusing your seniors, Willy? That's so unlike you~!" Grell crooned before walking toward the door for his luggage.

William frowned, not wanting to start an argument with that 'thing'. He instead turned his gaze to look around the cursed room they would spend the next two days in.

A bed with red and white sheets sat to the center left of the room with the ornate, wooden headboard pressing on the vanilla walls. A canopy hung above it with, lacy white fabric pulled up to reveal the queen-sized mattress with a heart made from red roses in the center. He nearly snickered at that as his gaze fell upon the gauzy white drapes and the candles on the dresser that highlighted the main display of two swans kissing atop more rose petals. Everything was so exaggerated and lovey-dovey that William nearly snickered at it. From where he stood, he thought he could see a filled bathtub with even more rose petals on the water's surface. He internally debated whether or not this was as bad as when Sutcliff gave him a strip tease for his birthday in the office...and then realized that there was likely nothing worse.

And the worst part was that there was only that bed in the room. Just one bed for a stoic supervisor and a gay transvestite freak (with no sense of personal space) to share. This had to be the worst weekend of his eternal life.

Grell set his bags down against the wall nearby, before going toward the bathroom with a giggle. "Oh~ they even got a bath ready for us! And it's still warm!"

"Enjoy your bath," William muttered, grabbing a nearby trash can to clear off the bed of those despicable rose petals.

Grell pouted. "You aren't coming with me~?"

"No, I am not," he said with a scowl, casting a glare Grell's direction before sweeping away the petals into the white container.

"Suit yourself. If you get cold, darling, you can always jump in with me later~" he sang with a wink before striding into the bathroom and closing the oaken door gently behind him.

Finally...some peace and quiet.

While Grell took that bath, William inspected the queen sized mattress with a pensive frown. Just how in the world would he manage to pull this off? Many solutions played in his mind at once.

He could make Grell sleep on the floor...but then he'd complain all night.

William could sleep on the floor himself...but he was supervisor and refused to lower himself to such standards. Plus, he had to look his best for the meeting tomorrow. Sore muscles wwas something he did not want to have.

He could find another room...but it was already expensive, and the Dispatch would ridicule him for such childishness.

Wasn't there any way to avoid Sutcliff's fantasy and his nightmare? This was terrible. In fact, it reminded him vaguely of that one assignment in which he had been forced to share a tent in a run-down circus with a filthy demon under the most deplorable circumstances--an assignment Grell was supposed to have done himself, had he not gone "rogue" during the Ripper "phase".

William nearly sneered at the thought--dreadful. Then again, the thought gave him a grand idea.

Closing his eyes, his mind reached out to another plane, and he could feel as the familiar metal pole of his pruning shears materialized into his hand. The weight and size was so perfect to him; it was more of an extension of himself than it was a tool. This was his arms, his legs, and his life all in the palm of his hand--literally. At the sight of the silver pole and the red and black blades at either end, his eyes grew soft only slightly with the fondness he saw it with. Well, at least this was something he could love that wouldn't scream, complain, or even annoy him to the ends of the earth daily. Honestly, why had he not fired that idiot sooner? Now the man was the second oldest reaper in their division, and there was no firing him without a good reason.

Last time, he'd plead insanity, dressed up in that "helpless butler costume" of his, and he'd come out of the Jack of the Ripper case with only a petty demotion and a black mark on his already spotty record. However, this time William wouldn't actually testify in FAVOR of the redhead. Why he'd even done such a thing was still a mystery to him. Perhaps it was just to make the score even with the debt he owed the ginger for their final exam. Or it might even be a certain fondness for the redhead that had developed toward him despite the annoying incompetence he possessed. Honestly, to start thinking of Grell as a friend or even an acquaintance was still a horror to William.

As he shook the thoughts from his head, William pulled the trigger for the pruning shears and then looked at the bed. Yes, this should do just fine.

Xxx

Grell hummed to himself as pale hands ran through his ruby strands, dying them with soapy white bubbles and drowning them in the sweet scent of roses and vanilla.

He pressed his foot against the end of the other side of the tub where the drain and faucet were, and grabbed a white bar of soap before running it along the shaven, lithe leg already white with his paleness. Sometimes he marveled in his own beauty; after all,  _who didn't_?

While he lathered himself with the vanilla-smelling substance, Grell sighed a deep sigh and closed his eyes, leaning his cheek lightly against his other knee. The other room was silent and void of any sign, at this moment, of the supervisor that was staying there in the main bedroom/living room. At this, the redhead frowning in slight confusion. Just what was that hottie up to now? He supposed he was reading a book, or even doing paperwork over the weekend.

Rinsing his body from the soapy suds, he pulled the drain from the claw-foot bathtub and blindly reached for one of the fuzzy white towels hanging on the bathroom sink nearby. Water dripped onto the tile as he climbed out, shivering as his bare feet met cold tile and the fuzzy white fabric pressed against his bare skin. His green eyes focused on the blur of red on the counter, and his slim hand gripped the corner of the marble top to slide across the slick whiteness and grappled the slim, ruby frames that were his glasses. They were first raised above his head to allow the chain to fall behind it and then lowered onto the bridge of his nose; the world instantly became clearer. Pale hands pulled his hair up to allow the cold metal of the chain to fall onto his bare neck and shoulders before letting go of the tangled tresses.

Grell dried off the dripping wet skin stretched over his pale body before slipping on the bright red night shirt and drawstring pants. A yawn forced its way past his lips while his forefinger pried apart the tiny slits to allow his thumb to push the white buttons of his shirt past it. He blinked slowly before he reached for his hairbrush and ran the smooth bristles through the fine strands of vermilion.

Within minutes, his hair had been restored to its former glory, and his teeth had been brushed to a pearly white once again. The redhead looked at his nails absentmindedly as he made his way to the door, not bothering to look up until it was already wide open. And the sight made him freeze.

There in front of him...were two halves of a bed that was whole once upon a time.

William had literally cut the bed in half with his pruning shears that were embedded into the walls of either side of the room to form a sort of line through the room to cut it perfectly in half.

And there on the bed was none other than William T. Spears himself, reading The Robinson Crusoe.

"I see you must have enjoyed your bath, Sutcliff," he commented absently, not bothering to gaze up from the plain print on manila-colored paper.

"WH-WHAT DID YOU DO?!" he screeched, eyes wide as hands flew to his recently combed hair. "YOU'VE BROKEN IT!"

"Broken what? Oh, do you mean the bed, Sutcliff? I simply divided the room into equal halves for the both of us. You shall stay on that side, and this shall be me own. You are only permitted to pass with my consent. Do you understand? Surely that mustn't be too hard to comprehend in that head you believe contains an encephalon."

"A-A wha-? Nevermind! No! This is our suite and we're supposed to share! This is  _not_  a dictatorship! Autocracy is outdated! Look at the World Wars only years from now! Did any communist country live throughout the years? No. Democracy wins!" Grell snapped, crossing his arms and bristling.

William's eyebrow twitched. "If you wish to keep that mane you call hair upon your head, Sutcliff, I suggest you throw in your towel and go to bed. I am not in the mood to deal with such petty things."

To the point of snapping all of his teeth, Grell clenched his jaw and jumped over the long pole of William's scythe before hopping in bed and throwing the blankets over him in a childish fit. This was anarchy! This...this was  _war._

As the light turned off on William's lamp nearby, Grell's eyes narrowed on the swaying curtains of his room. Oh, he'd rue tearing apart such a beautiful, expensive place. Especially one he paid out of pocket himself.

Xxx

He shakily gripped the balcony with gritted teeth, looking over the empty alleyway below filled with rusted tin cans and rotting black bags of trash. The other brick wall was only six feet away in total, and the drop to the ground would be a near six stories. Even a grim reaper like himself could be reeling from such a fall if they didn't land correctly.

Grell wasn't ever one to be scared of heights on a normal day, but problem is that where he was landing there were heaps of trash. He'd just cleaned his hair, and he had an important day planned tomorrow. It wouldn't be befitting of a beautiful lady to reek of garbage all day long. There was nothing more off-putting than  _that_  terrible scent.

Carefully, he hoisted himself down further as his feet dangled over the narrow alley. Oh, this was going to be terrible, he could feel it in his gut. He tried to focus on why the hell his window was facing an alley instead of Paris with the amount of money he paid on the suite. Couldn't they at least give him a view of the Eifel Tower?!

The redhead snorted, swinging his body back and forth to aim toward the balcony nearby as his hands clutched at the bottom of his own room's balcony.

_Just a little more, just a little more. Nearly there..._

With as much force that he could possibly put out in this position, the redhead swung off, letting go of the balcony and frontflipping to land on the small balustrade. He crouched when he landed, eyes narrowed as they focused into pointed daggers on the doors to another room. Regardless of whomever owned the room, Grell let himself fade from mortal view and opened the doors slowly. From where he was, he could make out the forms of a single man snuggled in a deep slumber beneath the covers. His breath gently stirred the blankets in front of his face, and the grim reaper watching over him could literally hear the snoring where he stood.

Snickering, Grell closed the door behind him and paid no mind the slumbering man as he walked out of the room. A maid nearby stared in horror at the door that seemed to open and close by itself, and she dropped her feather duster in that mute terror. The redhead could only smirk at that whilst he pressed the button to close the elevator doors. Her eyes stayed that way as she watched that elevator door close and bing! as it went up each level.

Grell could hardly care any less.

Whilst he hummed, the redhead inspected his fingernails. A bored expression stuck to his countenance before he notice the doors opening in front of him. Ah, here he was.

Grell padded down the corridor nonchalantly, looking at the golden numbers on each and every oaken door. His head barely reached to the top of the golden sconces hanging off the walls (height wise) that were dimly lit to provide the guests with a more comfortable evening setting. Then again, he was lacking in his beloved high-heel boots at the moments, and reveling in the slight relief it was to have them gone for at least a little while his bare feet sunk into the plush red carpet of the hallway. Those heels were a little tight around the toes; although, they did add an extra two inches to his short 5'7" self (170cm for everyone except America). In fact, he might even be 5'6" and lied a little bit to everyone about his height, which was a trait he both loved and hated. On one side, being short made him feel more womanly than ever. However, it was annoying to have to get a step-stool to reach things on the top shelf in his home-like even plates.

Shaking his head, he tried to clear his mind of such thoughts. He was on a mission. And this was a very important one indeed. As he padded down his path in his ghostly manner, it reminded him of his little, blonde junior at home in London. Ronald would probably be humming the theme to 'Mission Impossible' at this point and rolling down the carpet to their room despite their invisible being.

His eyes rolled at that, and he smiled a little wider at the sight of his hotel room again. In his hand was the key to such a room that had to be taken by the curtain hanger of their window to knock it off the wardrobe on William's side of the room and drag it across the floor; it was hard to do, providing the floor was a carpet.

As it twisted the inside of the keyhole and the door clicked, Grell quietly pushed it open and slipped through as soon as the crack between the door and the jam was wide enough. Any more and the light from the hallway might disturb William who was fast asleep on his side of the bed. Once the door had closed quietly behind him, the redhead tiptoed over to his bedside with a mischievous smirk. Oh, this was going to be good.

Green eyes looked over the pajama-clad body in the bed, seeing the head of disheveled black hair mussed with slumber with much amusement. There were so many things he could do right now to the unsuspecting Shinigami this one moment, and this fact alone caused him to shiver.

This was going to be the hardest part of his mission now. After he set the key aside on the night stand, he raised his foot to gently put it on the running board of the bed's frame, freezing when he heard it creak. William stirred slightly, rubbing his cheek into the cool fabric covering of his pillow. The moment he stilled, the supervisor let out a long sigh and relaxed his tense, slumbering body that was unsuspecting of the creeping red snake looking over it.

Like the ghost to the maid in the hallway, Grell slipped into the half bed next to William and smiled as he pulled up one of the disheveled sheets that had slid down to William's feet in his restless state. Now this was definitely something he could get used to, Grell believed as he moved to snuggle his senior.

Xxx

Grell  _thought_  he could be sneaky, but William had known better than to be fooled by such antics. He could hear the latch on the glass doors to the balcony being undone, and the clicking of the door being unlocked on the opposite side of the room. Honestly, could the idiot have been any more obvious? Up until this point, William had done a good job of ignoring the redhead. After all, William was too tired and fed up with him to even fight the insane man any more than he had to at this point.

But then Grell got in bed with him.

It was a whole new scenario now--a scenario William did not want to be in.

The moment Grell's arm began to slither around his waist to pull him closer, the supervisor tensed and his green eyes cracked open into a toxic glare. "Grell Sutcliff. Remove your limbs from my person before you find them unattached to that stick you call a body!"

Damn it! He'd been caught...red-handed. Grell almost smirked at his little joke, but he thought better of it while he was too distracted by the reaper that turned around to face him with a handsome glare that caused shivers to jolt up his sensitive spine.

Bringing his arm away, Grell blushed and made his arm retreat from him. For a moment, a sudden and uncharacteristic shyness came over him before it was long gone and a wide grin split his features. "What? I just wanted to share a bed with my lovely prince~! Ah~! How could a resist a handsome devil like you~?!" he crooned, moving to embrace the other when he was not so subtly pushed off the bed, sending him on his bum unceremoniously. "RUDE!"

"It is not rude when what you were doing was vulgar and unwanted. Forgive me, it was a reacton akin to one who finds a snake in their bed while they're sleeping. It's both terrifying and disgusting," he muttered before gathering his pillow and his bed sheets. "Since you are so keen in sleeping in this portion of the bed, I shall sleep elsewhere."

His only answer was a groan as Grell tried to gather himself back up again, too focused on the state of a nail he had chipped when trying to grab the night stand in his fall.

Using that distraction to his advantage, William decided to hide in the bathroom as that seemed like an ideal place as the shower had a natural curve on the bottom that could support his body without too much strain. It was better than sleeping on the floor after all. And above it all, there was even a shower door to hide behind so that the redhead could not find him.

It was there that he set up his temporary quarters as he laid the bedding on the unused shower floor and made himself a nice little nest ...yes this would do quite nicely. Maybe for once he might actually get some peace and quiet...

Well...maybe.


	3. Deal or No Deal?

William awoke unceremoniously to the torrent of cold water rushing over his pajama-clad body; his eyes were wide, and he froze for a moment, dreary mind not quite sure how to react. He was now sopping wet, and the cause of this state was able to be seen through the shower door (despite the fact that it was nothing more than a red blur).

Now having somewhere to focus this drenched malice, he bolted upright and opened the shower door wide without a second thought.

His mistake.

Grell shrieked, pulling a towel over himself, but not before William drank in the sight of his pale nudity. William stood under the still pouring water with wide eyes and a bright blush—frozen with more emotion than Grell had ever seen in his immortal lifetime.

He couldn't quite lie and say that it was an unpleasant view... _NO_! He couldn't think like that! Grell was a disgusting, revolting creature! He could hardly see anything anyway with the lack of his glasses!

Then why was he standing there so flabbergasted?

"William! It's impolite to spy on a lady like that!" scolded the redhead, knocking the stunned reaper from his thoughts.

"You should lo-look in the shower before you turn it on!" he defended. Had he been wearing his tie, he would have tightened it considerably. Instead, he settled on adjusting his glasses and decided it would have to be enough…but they weren't there, and he froze halfway when he remembered that they weren't there either.

Holding back that Cheshire grin, Grell thought back on when he had woken this morning and had to use the restroom.

(Que flashback)

_With a yawn, Grell placed the dainty fingers of his hand over his mouth. Sock-feet padded across his luxury suite to the restroom until they paused in front of the toilet. It was when he was lifting the seat that he paused, catching sight of a blurry figure in the bathtub. He had to lift his glasses slightly to rub the sleep from his weary eyes before he realized the supervisor he feared had bought a second room for the night was actually asleep in the shower tub._

_If there had ever been a time to seize an opportunity, it was now._

_And Grell knew it._

_Quickly stripping himself, Grell threw his clothes aside and looked himself over in the mirror. When he found his hair unsatisfactory, he ran a brush through it with great haste, yet quiet enough that it wouldn't disturb that precious little supervisor napping in the shower tub._

_"Hehe~ You're horribly cute in your sleep, darling~!" he cooed under his breath, blushing as he winked back at William and continued to primp his red tresses._

_The moment he finished, he set the brush aside, looked over himself one more time, and then leaned forward to pull the shower door closed to the point where he could barely reach forth and turn on the water. All he had to do now was sit back and wait~!_

(end of flashback)

"I'm so sorry, Will~" he apologized, lying through his shark-like teeth as he bat those fake eyelashes. And then that smile really did spread across his lips as he gushed, holding his hands together and puckering his lips. "But did you like what you saw?"

William huffed, face and neck a bright red as he shut the water off and growled. "No, I most certainly did not."

"Well, you don't have to pout, darling. It's not every day that you get to see a gorgeous woman in her most beautiful form~!" he crooned, giggling and then starting to chortle.

With that, William stormed past the redhead and toward the door, but only walking into the closet door several feet from the actual door.

"Do you want your glasses?" he giggled, raising an eyebrow at the sight as the chains on his own glasses jiggled with his laughter.

"I am just fine!" Feeling along the wall, it took him several moments until he finally found the slightly open door to the rest of the suite and marched through it...stubbing his toe on the nearby dresser and holding back a few choice words.

Holding a hand over his mouth, Grell watched from the crack in the door as William hobbled toward the bed and tripped over the metal scythe separating the two halves of the room. It was taking every ounce of Grell not to fall as well (the only difference being that his tumble would be from laughter), and he held onto the frame of the door with maddening chortles.

As William used the bed nearby to help him up, the ravenette reached for his glasses on the nightstand and then realized...that he was on the wrong side of the room.

And this time, he didn't hold back when a certain word escaped his mouth. " _Shit_."

Like the infamous cat, Tom, he stumbled and crashed and fell repeatedly across the room in an effort to reach the elusive Jerry (also known as his glasses) until he sat down on his knees, utterly lost in the room and cursed under his breath. That was before Grell knelt down in front of him, still clad in only a towel, and slipped on the familiar glasses that instantly made the world clear again. "What did I tell you?"

William rolled his eyes and stood, shaking his head and refusing to answer. He'd never admit to it, but he had called Grell to his apartment from time to time to help him find his glasses when he couldn't find them when he woke up or when he had to take a shower. And Grell had managed to keep that a secret for several centuries, but at a cost. Every time William was given his glasses, Grell would always ask the same question: "What did I tell you?" And William would, in turn, always answer the same.

For several moments, he ignored the redhead before Grell asked again. "What did I tell you?"

"To always take care of my glasses..." he mumbled, blushing; although, he hid it as he ducked his head and sorted through the drawers of the dresser to pull out his suit for the day. Naturally, it was carefully packaged in an air-tight plastic contained to keep out any dust or creases in his uniform.

"There you go," Grell giggled, sorting through his bag for a change of his own clothes before walking into the bathroom.

"Are you going to help me dre~ss?" he cooed, looking back at the supervisor with a wide grin and a wink—head sticking out between the crack of the door and the frame.

William's head jerked up, a glare thrown at his subordinate. "No! You are a grown man and capable of dressing your own person!"

"How cruel~" he whined, closing the door with a giggle and nevertheless getting dressed.

A deep sigh filled the lonely, suite air as William sat on the end of the bed and looked at his watch. Great...two more hours before he was supposed to appear at his meeting, and he hadn't eaten, dressed, combed his hair, taken a shower, etc..

This was definitely  _not_  how he had wanted to start his morning. Not even close.

It was likely going to be a very trying morning; he could tell. As long as Grell was near, disaster was sure to follow. And then he was supposed to bring the overzealous redhead with him to a formal business meeting?

Elbows propped on his knees, William buried his face in his hands. This could very well be the day he would be fired. His reputation and career were on the line. How could he possibly...

 _Wait_.

The risk of his career would only exist if Grell was nearby. So what if he wasn't?

Lifting his head, William stood and looked around before quickly getting dressed and combing his hair. When he found himself passable for any inspection they may have of him, the supervisor grabbed a chair and pressed it up against the door. Grell could likely get out on his own some way or another, but it would buy him enough time to slip out and go to the meeting on his own. After all, he knew where the meeting was. Grell didn't (or so he thought).

Thinking it was a flawless plan, William picked up his suitcase and went out the door.

Xxx

He was stooped, absolutely stooped. When he appeared at the designated meeting area, the reapers there had asked for Director Martin Riesenberg.

Nevertheless, William had quickly recovered by saying that he was Martin's replacement due to the number of deaths increasing over the weekend—Valentine's was the culprit of many suicides after all. Like hapless little fish, they took the bait and the meeting proceeded.

It wasn't very important, per say, and William deduced that his superior had merely sent him to do his dirty work for him. Yet, the curious thing was that no one had asked for Sutcliff. Surely, they must have heard word that there should have been a second officer. Perhaps, they believed that he was sent alone to spare more agents at home. It wasn't completely illogical.

William's mind fluttered back to the red reaper in his shared hotel room; unwanted images of what he saw this morning flashed in his brain. Part of him was revolted by such thoughts, wanting desperately to chuck them aside, pour whale oil over it, and set it aflame. Another piece of him wanted to rip out his eyes so that he may never again gaze upon such horrors again. However, one teeny, tiny minuscule speck of him wanted to see it again—to touch, to feel, to revel, and to hold.

No, the other two parts won out in the almost war in his mind; the tiny speck was cast away into the trash bin of his thoughts.

Chastising himself over his wandering thoughts, the dark-haired supervisor made his way through the bustling Paris streets filled with a surging sea of humanity. If he wasn't careful, he may be swept away from his current destination.

William tsked, shaking his head as he adjusted his glasses. At the same exact moment his fingers pressed the glasses up from the bridge of his nose, he was pushed to the ground by a random mortal racing by.

Glasses clattered on the ground, leaving their owner completely blind and helpless.

In a panic, his hands fumbled the ground in search of the frames before a walking passerby crushed them beneath their feet. His attention was so focused, he only paused when someone tapped his shoulder. The sound of a tongue clucking against the roof of a mouth reached his ears, followed by an effeminate giggle. "What did I tell you?"

"I will not say it!" he snapped, standing straight up and the tips of his ears turning a bright red. There was no doubt in his mind who the voice was behind him, and he refused to give in to such demands a second time in one day.. "This was not my fault. Give my spectacles back at once, Sutcliff!"

"Not until you agree to go on a date with meeeee~!" crooned the red reaper as the blob of crimson danced out in front of him.

A gloved hand rushed forward, managing to grab the reaper...but he had aimed too low, and instead had caught his belt and pulled him too close. The force of the pull was enough to send them stumbling back against and then over a nearby car parked onto the corner of a street. Grell managed to stop atop the car, but William had instead tumbled over and off the side of the bridge. At the last second, the redhead recovered and caught the supervisor's wrist, holding the reaper in place from falling the nonfatal drop into the water below...but William didn't know how far the drop was with his lack of vision or what lay below said bridge. Even though he wasn't afraid of heights, and knew that a fall could never kill a Shinigami, the dizzying sensation of not having his glasses and helplessly hanging off a bridge was not one he would have ever chosen to experience for himself. He didn't want to fall onto something hard, be admitted to the Shinigami infirmary, and never live down the experience. Word would get out that he had technically caused his own accident was a moment of clumsiness.

His body was tense, eyes wide as his legs kicked, and he tried to grab Grell's hand with his free hand. "Pull me up already, Sutcliff!"

With a grin, Grell merely let him dangle with a giggle. "Not until you say it~!"

"GRELL SUTCLIFF! IF YOU DO NOT PULL ME UP THIS INSTANCE, I WILL-!"

"You'll what? Spank me? You know I'd love that too much, Willy~!" he sang, blushing as his rear wiggled in the air. Passerby only gathered nearby with wide eyes. "Now say it and agree to go on a date with me~!"

"SUTCLIFF!"

"Not doing it~!" he laughed, starting to swing William back and forth.

Starting to feel sick at the motion, he tried to climb up the red reaper's arm, but Grell suddenly let go of him and caught his fingertips at the last second.

"I'm going to drop you if you don't hurry~! My arm is getting dreadfully tired, Willy!" he called, grinning as he threatened to let go of his boss.

"FI-FINE! I'M SUPPOSED TO ALWAYS TAKE CARE OF MY GLASSES! NOW PULL ME UP!" he yelled, wanting desperately to wring his neck once he was pulled up.

"And~?"

"And...I will...I will..." the rest was mumbled under his breath, cheeks a bright red.

"What was that?" Grell teased, raising an eyebrow. "I couldn't hear you~!"

"You heard me, you daft fool! I said I would go on a date with you under one conditi-!"

Grell squealed, pulling him up so fast he flew up in the air and was caught in Grell's arms like a bride on her wedding day. "We're finally going to go on a date! Isn't it fab-u-lous~!?" Grell sang, spinning with the taller man in his arms atop the car.

"SUTCLIFF! Put me down this instance and give me my glasses!"

"Hmm? Oh! I suppose," he giggled, setting William down with a smirk and hopping off the car. "Now come on~! I already have the perfect restaurant reserved, and on the way we can stop at that one really nice dress store, and I can pick out something special to wear. And then tonight we can go back to our honeymoon suite, and we can-!"

"WE WILL DO NO SUCH THING!" William snapped, fuming now. "Just hand me my glasses!"

Rolling his eyes, Grell tapped William's glasses to the corner of his mouth. "If you don't agree to my terms, you won't get your glasses back. Promise me that you'll do everything I say today," he demanded, one hand on his hip.

With a snarl, William tried to maintain his composure before taking in and letting out a deep breath. His hands combed back his unkempt hair, and he closed his eyes before speaking clearly. "I will agree with your terms on my own condition. You shall keep your hands to yourself at all times. Fair enough?"

"What the point of a date if there is no hand-holding and smoochies?" Grell pouted, suddenly distraught as he curled his bottom lip. He reluctantly sighed, rolling his eyes before slippng on William's glasses. "Fine. I will keep MY hands to myself, and  _I_ will not lay my lips on any part of you."

Adjusting his glasses, William scoffed. "Fair enough."

He had only seven hours to spend with this lunatic until the train arrived back to the coast...surely he could survive that long?

* * *

Grell squealed as he guided William through the crowd, a spring in his step as he neared a fancy glass display with exquisite dresses. "Aren't they all so beautiful Will~?"

Rolling his eyes, William only murmured something akin to the word 'Honestly', but it was unable to be made out as he begrudgingly followed the effeminate reaper into the store. Inside, stands and long rails of dresses filled the space of the store, and William could nearly feel his life's earnings begin to drain at the thought of how expensive they must be. Each dress was expertly tailored, some more like ball gowns and sown with glittering rhinestones, and others were glittering, sparkly wedding dresses.

In this maze of cloth, Grell seemed to know exactly where to go, and the reaper frowned as he walked to the cashier and spoke in a soft tone. Green eyes seldom looked over their owner's shoulder before a white box was taken out and handed to the redhead. A polite 'Merci' reached his ears, and Grell strutted past him. "Behave yourself, Willy. I'm going to go try this dress on."

With a scowl, William watched the redhead march into the dressing room, and he reluctantly sat nearby on a couch near the door. He watched the passing people outside through the display window, green eyes disinterested and bored as he patiently waited on the redhead caught up in preparing himself for a date that wasn't really a date. His long, gloved fingers tapped on his knee, and his free hand supported his head as he waited for his subordinate to reappear.

A voice then called from the dressing room, and he nearly sank as he recognized it as Grell. "Darling~? It appears I need a little help getting in the dress. Could you help me?"

"What seems to be the problem, Sutcliff?" he muttered as he stood and walked near the dressing room door. "I will not fall for sch tricks. I know that when I open this door, you will likely be in the nude."

"Don't think me so unchaste, William~! I'm a lady, after all! What do you think I am?"

"A perverted psychopath with a lust for blood and severe delusional tendencies..."

A long sigh was his answer before the store fell absolutely silent. It was only broken by Grell's soft voice. "Wlliam...you won't make fun of me in this dress if I come out, will you?"

Startled by the nature of his question, William paused before scowling. "By 'making fun of you', do you mean to ask if I will again explain how you are and shall never be a woman, Mr. Sutcliff? Why are you even here? There is no reason to wear a dress. It will make no difference. Just get this over with."

Grell hugged himself gently on the other side of the door, eyes downcast as he fell silent again.

William shifted uncomfortably, checking his watch and huffing as the minutes passed. "Grell? Are you or are you not coming out at some point?"

"Do you think I'm ugly, William?"

Blinking in slight surprise, William fell silent and looked around awkwardly. What was there to say? If he said something wrong, he feared he'd have to deal with the redhead's tears or his squeals if he thought that the supervisor found him attractive.

Before William could think of an answer, Grell spoke again softly. "I see...It's okay. You aren't the first. You're right...let's just get this over with..."

The door clicked as the redhead reluctantly walked out of the dressing room in a frilly red dress. A shy blush adorned his normall pale cheeks, the dress ruffled in the skirt and laced with black. More ruffles over his chest gave him the illusion of what he did not have, and the high collared and long sleeved dress was more modest than William thought. His hair was somehow done up in curls, red lipstick bright on his lips. Fishnet leggings framed lithe legs ending in apair of strapped high heels. His gaze was downcast, hands wringing in front of him.

Putting on his best grin, he twirled and waved at the ravenette, stiff and standing there with a stern frown. "Aren't I lovely~!?"

"Yes...just lovely," he muttered, walking past the redhead who deflated and slowly followed the reaper to the cashier. "Are you going to buy  _that?_ "

Grell managed to smile lightly again, rolling his eyes. "Of course."

"And how did you manage to scrape up the money to buy such an...outfit?" he asked, eyebrow twitching.

"I saved up for it. That's what. I make enough money, you know," he huffed, putting his hands on his hips before walking to the cashier buy himself and began to speak French again.

The words were lost to William, the supervisor merely watching the dress-clad reaper with a hidden blush. He was far from ugly for the tsundere Shinigami, but he would never admit to such. He did have a reputation to uphold, after all.

"There~!" Grell sang as he pranced over to William. "All done~! To the restaurant?"

"To the restaurant," he agreed with the dip of his head. "Lead the way, Sutcliff."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to update, my darlings, but here it is! The long awaited third chapter of When You're in Paris! The ending was a little hard to come up with, but I suppose that is because I swamped myself with writing every other project I have on my plate. However, I swear to have the final two chapters before this story's one year anniversery on Valentines!!!


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